If Preview isn’t already the default PDF viewer on your Mac (meaning that it’s the app that launches if you double-click on a PDF file), follow these steps to make it the default. (1) Find the file in your Finder and right-click (or control-click) on it to access the contextual menu. The system (Mac OS X) relies on the file extension to tell it what kind of content is in the file, and thus, which component to use to open it. If a.doc has a.docx extension, a.docx has a.doc extension, or the file has no extension, it is quite likely that the system will send the file to an opening component that cannot decode the content.
Select a single file. To select a single document, folder, app, disk or other item available through the Finder, click it. A single click highlights the file under the mouse pointer. Select all files in a window. To select everything in a window, click a window to make it active and hit Command (⌘)-A.
Free Apps To Open Documents
Mac OS X allows you to choose which application isassigned to open certain file types with common filename extensions(e.g., .pdf
, .jpg
, .tiff
,.mp3
, .mov
). This is useful, for example, ifyou want a file with the extension .pdf
to open withAdobe Reader instead of the Preview application. Filescreated in the Classic environment, which often do not havea filename extension, can also be assigned to open with an appropriateMac OS X application using the following instructions.
Choose App To Open Doc Macbook
Note: The instructions below, which change thefile's icon in the Mac OS X Finder to reflect the programthat will open it, will have no effect on the type or creator codeswhich may be contained in the file itself.
- Select the file in the Finder by clicking it once.
- From the File menu, select Get Info.
- In the
Info
window, click the triangle next to 'Openwith:' to expand that section of the window. - From the pull-down menu that appears, select the application youwish to use to open the file.
Note: Not every application listed will open thefile as expected. Make sure the application is appropriate for thetype of file with which you are working.
Choose App To Open Doc Macbook Pro
To change the application to open all similar file types, clickChange All.... You will see a confirmation dialog boxasking if this is really what you want to do. Click Continue.